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Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen – one of the founding fathers of the modern cooperative idea

He never left his homeland, but his idea made a worldwide career. Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen has noticeably improved the lives and economies of people with his work. Two main principles especially drove him to do so: solidarity between people and the help for self-help. And so far the success of his idea has proven him right: in Germany, 22.6 million people are members of a cooperative – and the tendency is rising. Today, more than 1 billion people worldwide are organized in cooperatives. On the occasion of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen’s 200th birthday, the memories of his work and his cooperative idea come to life again. In order to honor and celebrate Raiffeisen’s heritage and to carry on his legacy in politics, business, and society, a website has been established also in English language by the German Friedrich-Wilhelm-Raiffeisen-Association. It contains important information on Raiffeisen, his life, the cooperative idea as well as on noticeable events during the Raiffeisen year.